Protect your laptop on campus with one of these laptop locks

It's almost time for classes to begin once more, and students will surely be bringing their laptops with them to campus for note-taking and to complete assignments. In such a public space, though, you're going to want to ensure that your laptop is protected from physical theft in case someone tries to swipe it from you. For that, you need a good laptop lock. Here are some of the best laptop locks for students.

Smash and cut-resistant

Kensington ClickSafe Keyed Lock

Staff pick

This laptop lock has a durable carbon steel cable that's resistant to cutting, and mechanisms within the lock make it impervious to lockpicking attempts. The lock itself is tough as well and will resist any smashing attempts effectively.

$35 at Amazon $50 at CDW

Perfect for travel

Kensington MicroSaver Retractable Keyed Lock

This lock's cable isn't as durable or thick as other options on this list, but it can be retracted into a holding chassis, which makes it an excellent choice for people who need a lock that's easy to carry on-the-go.

$33 at Amazon $50 at Newegg

For smaller devices

Kensington MiniSaver Keyed Lock

Smaller and thinner laptops often have the Kensington MiniSaver slot instead of the normal slot. For these, you need a MiniSaver lock, and Kensington's own keyed solution is perfect for the job.

$55 at Amazon $55 at B&H

Longest cable

RUBAN Keyed Lock

If you're looking for a lock with a cable that is as long as you are tall, the RUBAN Keyed Lock is for you. With a cable that clocks in at 6.6 feet, you'll be able to attach your device to objects farther away than you would with other locks.

$18 at Amazon

For Dell devices

Kensington N17 Keyed

Most Dell computers use a different type of lock slot than Kensington's design, but thankfully, Kensington has designed a lock meant specifically for Dell devices, complete with its trademark durability standards.

$42 at Amazon $43 at CDW

Combination-style lock

Kensington Combination Lock

If you prefer combinations to keys, then Kensington has you covered with its durable, high-quality, four-number combination lock that can support up to 10,000 different combinations.

$23 at Amazon $25 at Kensington

Budget combination lock

Sendt Combination Lock

Sendt's combination lock isn't as damage-resistant as Kensington's, but it is cheaper, making it an awesome budget choice if you want to spend low and still get effective theft protection for your laptop.

$14 at Amazon

Adhesive-based lock

FOLAI Combination Lock

If you own a device that doesn't have a lock slot, such as (god forbid) a Mac, this nifty lock can attach to the surface of it with its extremely powerful adhesive. Then you can wrap the cable around an object as you would with a standard lock.

$14 at Amazon

Dock it and lock it

CTA Digital Heavy Duty Security Station

This locking station mounts to a surface and clamps your laptop in place, and then its cable can be wrapped around an object. This "triple layer" of protection guarantees your laptop's safety, though the station is relatively bulky.

$57 at B&H

What we would choose

All of these laptop locks are excellent, and each one has something to offer to a potential buyer. Overall, though, I think that the best laptop lock for students is the Kensington ClickSafe Keyed Lock, as it's the perfect combination of durability and compactness. It's not the toughest lock on this list, nor is it the easiest to carry around. However, it achieves an excellent balance between these two factors, making it a great way to get the best of both worlds.

People who want something smaller and easy to carry around should opt for the Kensington MicroSaver Retractable Keyed Lock, as the ability to retract the cable into a carry chassis means that it will take up much less space than the other locks on this list.

If maximum protection is what you're after, however, I recommend the CTA Digital Heavy Duty Security Station since it has a combination of surface-mounting, laptop-clamping, and the ability to lock it to an object with a cable. It'll easily prevent any thief from stealing your device without having to resort to destructive measures that would likely ruin the computer anyway.